Miss World Philippines 2021 candidate Michelle Arceo was perceived to throw a “shade” at politicians with her response during the question-and-answer portion of the pageant.
During the Q&A portion, she was asked: “Would you rather live in a world without the pandemic or without corruption?”
Arceo gave a straightforward response.
“I would pick a world without corruption because we are surrounded by it every day, everywhere we look,” the Miss World 2021 bet said.
“People every day suffer from it, and if we can eradicate that, we can solve so many problems and we can get through a pandemic easily the next time we go about it,” she added.
Some social media users shared copies of this Q&A online.
They viewed Arceo to be throwing a shade at the government officials present at the event.
“Miss ma’am looking at the judges’ table when she said that we are surrounded by corruption lmao indirectly shading the clowns we love to see it. WHAT A QUEEN,” one Twitter user said.
“The candidate choosing a world without corruption over a world without pandemic in front of Harry Roque and Bong Revilla was the main highlight of this pageant. What a queen!” another online user wrote.
“I love the shade thrown in Michelle Arceo’s answer sa MWPH hahaha right in front of the politicians,” another user said.
Senators Bong Revilla, Miguel Zubiri and presidential spokesperson Harry Roque attended the coronation night as among the panel of judges.
Of the three, Revilla was previously convicted of plunder in relation to the pork barrel scam.
Last July, Sandiganbayan cleared him of all criminal cases with a vote of 3-2 in favor of his acquittal.
One user juxtaposed a screenshot of Arceo and that of Revilla while the former was delivering her answer on stage.
“We are surrounded by it (corruption).”#MissWorldPhilippines2021 pic.twitter.com/aHSYJ84YBA
— Banash Daily #WeDeserveBetter (@BIENsays) October 3, 2021
Arceo won the crown for Miss Environment Philippines 2021.
Tracy Maureen Perez, a representative from Cebu City, on the other hand, won the Miss World Philippines 2021 title.
Perez will compete for the 70th edition of Miss World 2021 in Puerto Rico this December.
The rest of the Miss World Philippines 2021 are:
Miss Eco Philippines: Kathleen Paton
Miss Eco Teen Philippines: Tatyana Austria
Reina Hispanoamericana Filipinas: Emmanuelle Vera
Miss Tourism Philippines: Trisha Martinez
Miss Multinational Philippines: Shaila Robertera
Miss Supranational Philippines: Dindi Pajares